Implementing ecological compensation in New Zealand: stakeholder perspectives and a way forward

Abstract

Ecological compensation is widely used, and often criticised, for promulgating poor outcomes for biodiversity. There is a lack of systematic research on ecological compensation and, to date, limited research globally into the perspectives of the various stakeholders involved. We undertook 116 semi‐structured interviews with practitioners working with ecological compensation in New Zealand. Participants consider that benefits to biodiversity are the chief attraction of ecological compensation (49.2% of all responses), with the disadvantages mainly relating to the difficulties of practical implementation of the concept. Our results also show that 96.5% of participants support the concept fully or to a limited extent and most (83%) participants consider that it contributes to sustainable management, with significant support (87.9%) for a statutory approach. Formal statutory guidance at a national level in New Zealand, and an increased focus upon follow‐up and monitoring, is considered likely to generate more robust exchanges.